Beef with Anchor Bay

[violentm]

Here my little beef with Anchor Bays Sleepaway Camp on DVD…

Well, I just did a side by side comparison of Medias VHS of Sleepaway Camp and Anchor Bays Sleepaway Camp to see for myself what in fact was cut from the DVD. The main scenes I noticed cut are described here:
http://www.angelfire.com/retro/official ... tecut.html

But I also noticed that a few other scenes were slightly snipped a second or two here and there, that are not noted at sleepawaycampmovies.com -- such as the sequence where Angela gets a wet sponge thrown at her is trimmed at the end, as well as the sequence where Ricky tells Meg to fuck off after Paul kisses her is trimmed from the Anchor Bay version.

What I really found strange was that the DVD seems to be matted with its (1:85.1) ratio. On the VHS you would think that the top and bottom of the screen would be chopped to fit the screen, but in fact you see more picture on the top and bottom of the screen of the VHS then the letterboxed DVD. There is far more picture on the top of the screen of the VHS version. Then we get to see more on the left and right side of the screen on the DVD version but not the VHS version. No one else probably noticed but this seems very strange to me for Anchor Bay to matt the top and bottom. Seems like a pointless act.

So even though the Anchor Bay version looks and sounds better I almost prefer Media’s version. Sure the color is dull and unsaturated and you can’t see some of the left and right sides of the screen, but you can see more of the screen than on the Matted letterboxed DVD. And you see it uncut.

[I am 138]

There's an older post about AB's Bad Taste where Bruce makes me look like the retard I am and explains stuff about transfers and pictoral info. Maybe this happened on Sleepaway as well?

The snake in the mouth was the second best thing about Sleepaway, so I think more than die hard fans will notice it missing. It'll become one of those things like people thinking they saw gore in Texas Chain Saw..."I swear when I first saw this the snake crawled out of his mouth! Must've been my imagination."

[hodgy]

Kinda like the original cut of Quiet Riot's 'Cum on Feel the Noize' video, at the end where the mask is all looking out of the wall and shit.

[I am 138]

Yeah, or the original version of that Michael Jackson video where he fondled himself and broke stuff for an extra 5 minutes.

[Latte Thunder]

or that scene in the restaurant in Ferris Beuler where the Maiter D won't seat them because Abe Frohman is black and Ferris insists that they won't seat them because the restaurant is racist.

Someone tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that scene.

[Chris Slack]

Originally posted by Latte Thunder
or that scene in the restaurant in Ferris Beuler where the Maiter D won't seat them because Abe Frohman is black and Ferris insists that they won't seat them because the restaurant is racist.

Someone tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that scene.

John P would certainly remember it

[Griff [Mola]]

Originally posted by Latte Thunder
or that scene in the restaurant in Ferris Beuler where the Maiter D won't seat them because Abe Frohman is black and Ferris insists that they won't seat them because the restaurant is racist.

Someone tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that scene.

Even though I was some years youger, I definitely don't remember that from the cinema and frankly, can't see how it would work within the context of the scene. It almost sounds like an Ali G joke. Then again, I'm the guy that's sure the (Aussie) theatrical release of ROBOCOP was more graphic than the 'R' version we all know, complete with arm severing shot.

Bah, fuck it. You might be right.

[I am 138]

Originally posted by Griff [Mola]

I'm the guy that's sure the (Aussie) theatrical release of ROBOCOP was more graphic than the 'R' version we all know, complete with arm severing shot.

Something like that actually happened with an Australian movie here in America in the 80s. It was a Brian Trenchard-Smith movie that I think had "drive in" in the title. It got sent to the MPAA, they said they had to remove a lot of violence (I think 'cause it was aimed at kids), so the film was cut, but somehow the uncut version was the print that went out initially. Took awhile to fix it, and I guess it pissed off the MPAA.

[Chris Slack]

Originally posted by Griff [Mola]


Then again, I'm the guy that's sure the (Aussie) theatrical release of ROBOCOP was more graphic than the 'R' version we all know, complete with arm severing shot.

I have no idea what the Aussie cut is like but the Criterion DVD version contains more sauce than the US theatrical release, particularly in the scene where ED209 goes haywire and machineguns down the guy int he office. I think the scene where Clarence and his gang do Peter Weller has some additional grue but since I haven't seen the old version for so long I'm not sure. It's a shame that Criterion let that version go OOP, it's a great disc.

[I am 138]

Indeed, Weller's death is more graphic (which I found hard to believe before seeing it), as is the stabbing of Clarence's neck at the end. I think there may be a few extra little seconds here and there as well.

[Jon]

Originally posted by I am 138


Something like that actually happened with an Australian movie here in America in the 80s. It was a Brian Trenchard-Smith movie that I think had "drive in" in the title. It got sent to the MPAA, they said they had to remove a lot of violence (I think 'cause it was aimed at kids), so the film was cut, but somehow the uncut version was the print that went out initially. Took awhile to fix it, and I guess it pissed off the MPAA.

That film must be DEAD END DRIVE IN. I'm surprised the MPAA had an issue with it though (isn't it rated R in the US?) as it's not excessively violent. Maybe the problem was with the footage from TURKEY SHOOT (aka ESCAPE 2000) that appears in it. It's a fun movie (definitely not aimed at kids though) but it could've been alot better.

My recollection of the Aussie theatrical ROBOCOP is that it was the same cut as the US 'R' rated version, but all the bad language was edited.